Sesshoumaru felt his left eyebrow twitch involuntarily in frustration. Things had become more chaotic in recent weeks. He had managed, with help of course, to keep matters quiet. But even at his level, things had become out of hand. Humans were beginning to disappear one by one, and the news stations were getting wind of it. On top of that, the aura of yokai was increasing in the mountainside. Over the centuries, the presence of yokai had gradually diminished. Now they were rapidly increasing in number, and in power.
"Would this have anything to do with InuYasha?" a voice spoke up quietly, voicing his unspoken thought. Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, and peered at the yokai that stood in the doorway.
He still couldn't forget the small child he had come to know so many years ago. Even now, as a full grown yokai with power that rivaled his own, his wide eyed innocence always proved to be his greatest asset.
"It's a strange coincidence if you ask me," another voice spoke up from his spot next to the roaring fireplace. He met the Okami Lord's gaze briefly, his mind racing at how out of hand things were steadily becoming. Sesshoumaru peered out the window at the setting sun. That's right, tonight was a New Moon…
Even the modern era would be an unsafe place for InuYasha.
"There is no way of knowing what caused these turn of events from happening." he murmured quietly.
"Nevertheless, they are indeed happening," the third and final voice spoke up. Sesshoumaru shot the newest member of their group a glance. He still could not get used to him being on their side, let alone in the same room. Well, he being human, and not reeking of that putrid stench helped a great deal.
Naraku had been a bane to their existence so very long ago. His reincarnated form was a quiet, stoic figure that had ties everywhere and anywhere. If anything, his unique abilities put him on level with the Miko, or the Monk's descendant. Speaking of which, he glanced to the young woman sitting on the sofa next to Aiki. She was sound asleep, which wasn't unusual for her. She and Aiki were related by blood, though centuries separated them.
"Hiroshi is taking care of the recent yokai that made its way into the city. However, it's becoming more and more difficult not to be spotted by the public in our true forms." he murmured.
The talismans did well to mask their appearances when out and about in the public eye, but in the heat of battle, they were useless.
Kei, as Naraku's reincarnated soul was called, glanced out the window.
"Someone has to be behind this," he spoke up quietly.
"Why would a yokai choose now to cause this much trouble? Humans aren't as feeble as they once were. They have the means to wage war against us." Koga spoke up.
"Perhaps it's a new yokai itching to prove himself," Shippo added quietly. Sesshoumaru considered that. The yokai that filled the air was unfamiliar to him. Something had him on edge about it all. The others seemed a bit more relaxed than he did. This was no simple resurgence of yokai. Something dark was brewing.
And if things weren't complicated enough, Hiroshi's scent filled the air. Sesshoumaru's nostrils flared. His scent was heavy with the scent of blood. A heartbeat later, Hiroshi stumbled through the front door, his gear in tatters. Shippo was at his side in a flash, catching him before he fell to the floor. Blood dripped steadily from a wound on his flank.
Aiki was on her feet instantaneously, her sword drawn, and made her way out the front, with Koga on her heels. Shippo helped the wounded hanyou to the sofa, where Tsuki helped apply pressure to the wound. Hiroshi was panting heavily and it worried Sesshoumaru. His hanyou ears drooped, his pain evident.
"What happened?" Sesshoumaru asked. Hiroshi winced as Shippo inspected the wound.
"An ambush; I don't know where these yokai keep coming from but they're steadily gaining strength," he replied. His long silver ponytail was blood streaked from a wound on the back of his scalp.
"No one is to go out alone to engage them anymore." Sesshoumaru said evenly. Hiroshi met him with smoldering violet eyes.
"They won't get the drop on me again," he said with a stubborn set to his chin.
"Sounds familiar," Kei spoke up, kneeling down to check the wound himself.
"I don't see you out there doing any of the fighting Doc." Hiroshi grumbled.
"That because my area of expertise if patching you up." Kei replied simply.
Sesshoumaru stepped away, and turned to the safe that resided inside the opposite wall, concealed behind an old painting. He couldn't remember the last time he had the need to possibly wield the sword. But if even Hiroshi was bested, then things were indeed getting serious.
"Where's InuYasha?" Hiroshi asked. The moment the question was asked, InuYasha's scent filled the air, and an instant later, he walked thru the blood smeared front door with the Miko in tow, his silvery hair darkening as he walked inside.
InuYasha noticed Sesshoumaru's battle gear, and looked around at the rest of the room's occupants before sending him a questioning glance.
"You're late." Sesshoumaru stated simply.
"Yeah, well, I was a little…busy sending Naraku running for his life." he stammered, his eyes turning to lock on Kei.
"It was a draw," Shippo spoke up, his back to InuYasha.
"How would you know?" he asked. The Miko noticed who was speaking right away. His brother, it would seem, was as slow as always…
"OW! Just because I'm built of sterner stuff doesn't mean you can be rougher sewing me shut!" Hiroshi roared over the conversation.
"You're such a child sometimes," Kei murmured.
"How about you let me sew your skin for a bit and we exchange notes," Hiroshi shot back, his voice full of disdain.
"Well, someone wants to be on the naughty list this year," Kei grumbled.
"Does anyone want to tell me just what the hell is going on? It's a war zone out there! We were attacked by several yokai on the way here!" InuYasha spoke up. Sesshoumaru smelled it then, the hint of his brother's blood thick in the air. Hiroshi's own blood nearly masked it. Sesshoumaru rushed towards his brother, and pulled his kimono open without warning, which startled the Miko at his side.
There was a gaping hole in his shirt, which was stained with blood, and the skin beneath was red and enflamed, signaling there had been a wound there recently.
Very recently.
"You're being careless," he murmured.
"It was my fault." Kagome spoke up.
"Like hell it was. It was Naraku's, stop blaming yourself." InuYasha said gruffly.
"He's right Kagome," the kit spoke up, standing slowly to his full height. InuYasha looked at him skeptically, tugging his haori out of Sesshoumaru's grasp.
"Who asked you?" InuYasha asked. Shippo smirked.
"Wow, he's still so defensive." Shippo said, slightly amused.
"This is fun and all, but shouldn't someone go see if Aiki and Koga need a hand?" Hiroshi spoke up, wincing slightly.
"Stay still, whiney." Tsuki spoke up. Hiroshi sighed, and complied, glaring at the wall.
The Miko walked up to the six foot tall Kit, and smiled at him.
"I never imagined you this grown up." she spoke up.
"It's nice to be able to finally talk to you again." he replied.
"Am I missing something?" InuYasha asked.
Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he removed Bakusaiga from the safe in the wall. He felt the power course through him, a power he remembered so well…and still sitting in the safe was Tenseiga…
When was the last time he had wielded that? He remembered trying, so long ago. Before InuYasha's lifeless body had been burned to ash. For some reason, Tenseiga was repelled. Pieces began to fill themselves in the puzzle, when he returned the other day with that strange rosary. Something about that necklace had a mysterious power, beyond a simple subjugation spell. Maybe had she removed the necklace before he tried back then, the outcome would have been different…
Too many what ifs; he needed to focus on the what IS.
"When aren't you?" Shippo asked playfully, cutting into Sesshoumaru's thoughts.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" InuYasha exclaimed.
"Man, I forgot how excitable he can be," Shippo murmured.
"Why you-!"
"InuYasha…calm down." Kagome said calmly, touching his arm ever so slightly. Sesshoumaru watched curiously as her touch seemed to calm him down. The bond those two shared always did mystify him so.
"I'll go check on Aiki and Koga." Shippo spoke up, dashing out the doorway in a blur of blue light.
"You two stay inside." Sesshoumaru ordered, looking at InuYasha and Hiroshi in turn, before turning to the Miko.
"Kei will see to your injury." he said quietly. She flushed slightly, her hand instinctively moving to her injured shoulder before nodding.
"Don't worry; I don't bite…that often." Kei spoke up. InuYasha's eyes narrowed slightly.
Sesshoumaru dashed out, before he heard whatever retort his brother had to say.
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"How did you get hit that badly?" InuYasha asked quietly to Hiroshi. Kagome sat down on the plush chair that faced the sofa where the hanyou that closely resembled InuYasha, clad in battle gear, had his wound tended to by…
She thought his voice was strangely familiar, but he was right there in front of her, the face of the monster that took InuYasha away from her. He was completely focused on his task, but he apparently could feel her eyes boring holes into his back.
"Just relax Miko. You of all people should know the difference in regards to a reincarnated soul." he said gently. He was human, completely human. How ironic that he was a simple human. Yet she couldn't stop her body from shaking. He finished up with Hiroshi, and knelt down beside her, looking at her shoulder carefully, before rummaging through his large medical case.
"That's a bad wound." he noted aloud.
"It's much better now though." she admitted. He filled a syringe with what looked like antibiotics, and infused it in her.
"Better safe than sorry, spiritual healing powers or not." he said. She nodded, her gaze falling to the floor, as he began to clean the wound.
"Wow…this really goes against the grain," InuYasha blurted out.
"I believe it," Kei replied with a smirk.
"So, apparently, Naraku is not the one being a pain in the ass out there right now." Hiroshi spoke up.
"No, he's very dead, hence my presence." Kei spoke up.
"Too bad you don't know how or when…" InuYasha grumbled.
"Colds were very deadly five hundred years ago. It would be proper justice for him to die in a pathetic way." Kei mused aloud, trying to lighten the situation. Kagome relaxed. Earlier, in Naraku's grasp, his aura dripped with malice, and his touch was so very cold.
Kei's hands were warm, and his brown eyes held no malice. She felt guilty for feeling so at ease in the face of the reincarnated image of her greatest enemy. He was right. Just as she was not Kikyo, Kei was not Naraku.
She let out a deep breath she didn't know she had been holding. He taped off the dressing, and leaned back, glancing over his shoulder at InuYasha.
"Let me take a look at that wound. In your present form, infection could still set in." Kagome expected a firm refusal, but he set his jaw in that stubborn way, and his shoulders drooped slightly.
"Keh…fine." he replied, peeling off the bloodied haori and t-shirt. She grimaced at the large, angry red spot the wound had left. Kei gave him a dose of antibiotics, and cleaned the wound surface, while InuYasha kept his smoldering gaze on hers. She felt her cheeks warm slightly at the intensity in his eyes.
"Yeesh, you can cut the tension in here with a knife." Hiroshi grumbled slightly.
"Be quiet and get some rest." InuYasha shot back.
"Same goes for you." Hiroshi replied quietly. Kagome had a feeling that the two hanyou had a better understanding of one another now that no one else could ever quite grasp.
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As Sesshoumaru reached Aiki, Koga went flying through the air, crashing into a building with bone crushing speed. He drew Bakusaiga on instinct, and dropped down behind Aiki, whom faced a yokai. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end at how powerful this yokai's aura was. He felt a credible threat, and a insistent need to pull Aiki to safety.
The yokai sneered at him, the energy crackling around him. People ran screaming through the streets as yokai rained from the sky upon them. It was pure madness.
"Is this your doing?" he demanded.
The yokai smirked.
"If this is anyone's doing, it's yours, Sesshoumaru-sama" the yokai replied, his tone anything but respectful.
"Explain yourself!" Aiki demanded. Koga limped up beside him.
"No good, he has a barrier…" Koga said breathlessly.
"All will be explained in due…time." he replied cryptically, and with that he leapt up into the sky, darting towards…
The Miko's home!
Sesshoumaru chased after him, every instinct in his being urging him to do so.